DA pursuing grant for vets court

The Pueblo Board of County Commissioners gave its support to a grant application by the Pueblo District Attorney’s Office that could help make Pueblo County a model for a veterans court.

Jeff Chostner

Plans are progressing to create a veterans court in Pueblo, but the application for a $400,000 federal grant would help create a screening tool to determine which veterans could qualify for the special court.

District Attorney Jeff Chostner told the commissioners Monday that the court would follow a similar approach to Pueblo’s mental health court, which sees an average of 10 defendants a month and attempts to provide specialized treatment and services to address the roots of their criminal behavior.

If the veterans court is successful, Chostner said he would start working with the judicial district, probation and the public defender on a substance abuse court, which could be much larger and more complex.

Ellen Cooney, grants administrator for the DA’s office, said the $400,000 would allow the office to work with the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs to develop and refine the screening process for veterans. The 4th Judicial District in El Paso County already has an established veterans court and also is working with Pueblo because it is in its district and the screening tool will be useful.

Cooney said the grant will last for three years. After that, the screening tool will be tested and Pueblo wants to be part of that process as well.

Cooney said one of the topics she’s stressing in the grant application is the need for these types of services in smaller communities with rural populations.